BILL NUMBER: SB 1689	CHAPTERED  07/05/00

	CHAPTER   73
	FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE   JULY 5, 2000
	APPROVED BY GOVERNOR   JULY 5, 2000
	PASSED THE SENATE   JUNE 15, 2000
	PASSED THE ASSEMBLY   JUNE 15, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JUNE 15, 2000
	AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY   JUNE 14, 2000

INTRODUCED BY   Senators Escutia and Monteith
   (Coauthors:  Senators Alarcon, Alpert, Hughes, Murray, O'Connell,
Ortiz, Polanco, Solis, and Soto)
   (Coauthors:  Assembly Members Alquist, Aroner, Bates, Cardenas,
Cardoza, Cedillo, Corbett, Correa, Davis, Dickerson, Dutra, Gallegos,
Hertzberg, Honda, Jackson, Longville, Lowenthal, Maddox, Mazzoni,
Nakano, Rod Pacheco, Pescetti, Reyes, Romero, Shelley, Steinberg,
Strom-Martin, Thomson, Villaraigosa, Vincent, Washington, Wiggins,
Wildman, and Zettel)

                        FEBRUARY 22, 2000

   An act to amend Section 48980 of, and to add Section 52247 to, the
Education Code, relating to instructional programs, and declaring
the urgency thereof, to take effect immediately.


	LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST


   SB 1689, Escutia.   Advanced placement program.
   (1) Existing law requires at the beginning of the first semester
or quarter, the governing board of each school district to notify
parents or guardians of minor pupils of specified rights and
responsibilities of the parent or guardian.
   This bill would also require that parents and guardians be
notified of the availability of state funds to cover the costs of
advanced placement examination fees, thus imposing a state-mandated
local program with respect to the additional notice.
   (2) Existing law establishes a 5-year pilot grant program,
administered by the State Department of Education, for the purpose of
awarding grants to cover the costs of advanced placement examination
fees for economically disadvantaged pupils.  Existing law also
authorizes a school district receiving economic impact aid funds to
expend any portion of those funds to pay for all or part of the costs
of one or more advanced placement examinations that are charged to
economically disadvantaged pupils.
   This bill would establish the Advanced Placement Challenge Grant
Program under which a high school would design and implement a plan
that would result in its pupils having access to at least 4 advanced
placement courses in core curriculum areas.  The bill would also
require the Superintendent of Public Instruction to administer a
grant program for advanced placement professional development under
which nonrenewable 4-year grants would be awarded on a competitive
basis to no more than 550 high schools to establish, train, and
support teams of teachers or purchase instructional materials and
equipment for those courses.
  (4) The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse
local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the
state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that
reimbursement, including the creation of a State Mandates Claims Fund
to pay the costs of mandates that do not exceed $1,000,000 statewide
and other procedures for claims whose statewide costs exceed
$1,000,000.
   This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates
determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state,
reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these
statutory provisions.
   (4) This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately
as an urgency statute.


THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:


  SECTION 1.  Section 48980 of the Education Code is amended to read:

   48980.  (a) At the beginning of the first semester or quarter of
the regular school term, the governing board of each school district
shall notify the parent or guardian of its minor pupils regarding the
right or responsibility of the parent or guardian under Sections
35291, 46014, 48205, 48207, 48208, 49403, 49423, 49451, 49472, 51240,
and 51550 and Chapter 2.3 (commencing with Section 32255) of Part
19.
   (b) The notification also shall advise the parent or guardian of
the availability of individualized instruction as prescribed by
Section 48206.3, and of the program prescribed by Article 9
(commencing with Section 49510) of Chapter 9.
   (c) The notification shall also advise the parents and guardians
of all pupils attending a school within the district of the schedule
of minimum days and pupil-free staff development days, and if any
minimum or pupil-free staff development days are scheduled
thereafter, the governing board shall notify parents and guardians of
the affected pupils as early as possible, but not later than one
month before the scheduled minimum or pupil-free day.
   (d) The notification also may advise the parent or guardian of the
importance of investing for future college or university education
for their children and of considering appropriate investment options
including, but not limited to, United States Savings Bonds.
   (e) Commencing with the 2000-01 school year, and each school year
thereafter, the notification shall advise the parent or guardian of
the pupil that, commencing with the 2003-04 school year, and each
school year thereafter, each pupil completing 12th grade will be
required to successfully pass the high school exit examination
administered pursuant to Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 60850) of
Part 33.  The notification shall include, at a minimum, the date of
the examination, the requirements for passing the examination, and
shall inform the parents and guardians regarding the consequences of
not passing the examination and shall inform parents and guardians
that passing the examination is a condition of graduation.
   (f) Each school district that elects to provide a fingerprinting
program pursuant to Article 10 (commencing with Section 32390) shall
inform parents or guardians of the program as specified in Section
32390.
   (g) Until July 1, 1998, the notification shall also advise the
parent or guardian of the availability of the employment-based school
attendance options pursuant to subdivision (f) of Section 48204.
   (h) The notification shall also include a copy of the district's
written policy on sexual harassment established pursuant to Section
212.6, as it relates to pupils.
   (i) Commencing July 1, 1998, the notification shall include a copy
of the written policy of the school district adopted pursuant to
Section 51870.5 regarding access by pupils to Internet and online
sites.
   (j) The notification shall advise the parent or guardian of all
current statutory attendance options and local attendance options
available in the school district.  That notification shall include
all options for meeting residency requirements for school attendance,
programmatic options offered within the local attendance areas, and
any special programmatic options available on both an interdistrict
and intradistrict basis.  That notification shall also include a
description of all options, a description of the procedure for
application for alternative attendance areas or programs, an
application form from the district for requesting a change of
attendance, and a description of the appeals process available, if
any, for a parent or guardian denied a change of attendance.  The
notification shall also include an explanation of the current
statutory attendance options including, but not limited to, those
available under Section 35160.5, Chapter 5 (commencing with Section
46600) of Part 26, subdivision (f) of Section 48204, and Article 1.5
(commencing with Section 48209) of Chapter 2 of Part 27.  The State
Department of Education shall produce this portion of the
notification and shall distribute it to all school districts.
   (k) It is the intent of the Legislature that the governing board
of each school district annually review the enrollment options
available to the pupils within their districts and that the school
districts strive to make available enrollment options that meet the
diverse needs, potential, and interests of California's pupils.
   (l) The notification shall advise the parent or guardian that no
pupil may have his or her grade reduced or lose academic credit for
any absence or absences excused pursuant to Section 48205 when missed
assignments and tests that can reasonably be provided are
satisfactorily completed within a reasonable period of time, and
shall include the full text of Section 48205.
   (m) The notification shall advise the parent or guardian of the
availability of state funds to cover the costs of advanced placement
examination fees pursuant to Section 52244.
  SEC. 2.  Section 52247 is added to the Education Code, to read:
   52247.  (a) The Advanced Placement Challenge Grant Program is
hereby established to assist California public high schools in
providing access to rigorous, academically challenging, college-level
courses to interested and prepared pupils in the state.
   (b) Commencing in the 2000-01 fiscal year, the Superintendent of
Public Instruction shall administer the Advanced Placement Challenge
Grant Program. A school district may apply on behalf of eligible
schools in its jurisdiction to the Superintendent of Public
Instruction for the award of a grant pursuant to this section.
   (c) Only a high school meeting the following criteria during the
1999-2000 academic year is eligible to receive funding pursuant to
this section:
   (1) Schools offering three or fewer advanced placement courses, or
in the case of multitrack schools, three or fewer advanced placement
courses per track. Schools meeting this criteria shall have first
priority for funding.
   (2) Schools not offering advanced placement courses in either
mathematics or science. Schools meeting this criteria shall have
second priority for funding.
   (3) Schools with low college participation rates.  Schools meeting
this criteria shall have third priority for funding.
   (4) Schools with a majority of pupils who qualify for free or
reduced price meals.  Schools meeting this criteria shall have fourth
priority for funding.
   (d) All schools meeting a higher priority criteria shall receive
funding before any school meeting a lower priority criteria may
receive funding, subject to a maximum of 550 high schools
participating in this program.
   (e) In the 2000-01 fiscal year, the Superintendent of Public
Instruction shall award nonrenewable four-year grants in the annual
amounts of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000), twenty-two thousand
five hundred dollars ($22,500), fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000),
and seven thousand five hundred dollars ($7,500) respectively, on a
competitive basis to no more than 550 public high schools.  The
Superintendent of Public Instruction shall notify school districts
and county offices of education of the availability of these grant
funds, which are intended to increase a recipient school's capacity
to offer advanced placement courses.
   (f) In addition to any funding received pursuant to this section,
a school district that qualifies for first priority funding pursuant
to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) may also qualify for first
priority grants under the Education Technology Grant Program (Chapter
8.6 (commencing with Section 52270)) in order to provide access to
online advanced placement courses for pupils, upon enactment of
Assembly Bill 2882 of the 1999-2000 Regular Session.
   (g) The grants shall be used exclusively for the following
activities:
   (1) Establishing, training, and supporting vertical teams of
teachers, as defined in this section.
   (2) Providing an incentive for schools to offer additional
advanced placement courses by purchasing instructional materials and
equipment for those courses.
   (3) Tutoring and instructional support services for pupils, both
in preparation for and during, advanced placement coursework.
   (h) As a condition of receiving funds pursuant to this section, a
high school shall do all of the following:
   (1) Design and implement a plan that will result in its pupils
having access, no later than the beginning of the 2001-02 academic
year, to a minimum of four advanced placement courses in core
curriculum areas. A high school participating in this program shall
commit to increase to 50 percent or more the number of pupils
enrolled in each advanced placement course taking the advanced
placement examination or to a 10 percent increase in the number of
advanced placement test takers in each course from the previous year,
whichever is greater.
   (2) Make every effort to ensure that its pupils and their parents
or guardians are informed about both of the following:
   (A) The school's efforts to provide pupil access to advanced
placement courses.
   (B) The use of technology by the school to provide pupil access to
advanced placement courses.
   (3) Utilize tutoring and support services such as those provided
under the Advancement Via Individual Determination program and
encourage pupils to utilize distance learning options for advanced
placement course offerings.  A participating school's plan should
include a variety of strategies, including, but not limited to, those
specified above to increase access to advanced placement courses.
   (4) To the extent possible, include feeder middle schools in
developing a pre-advanced placement program.
   (5) Pre-advanced placement programs shall include, but not be
limited to, professional development of teachers and school
counselors, vertical teams, curriculum development focused on skills
and knowledge needed for advanced placement readiness, academic
support for advanced placement pupils, and notification to its pupils
and their parents about the availability and importance of advanced
placement courses.
   (i) The Superintendent of Public Instruction shall contract for an
independent evaluation of the effectiveness of the Advanced
Placement Challenge Grant Program and report its findings to the
Governor and the Legislature on or before August 1, 2002.
   (j) For purposes of this section, "vertical team" means a group of
educators from different grade levels in a given discipline who work
cooperatively to develop and implement a vertically aligned program
aimed at helping pupils acquire the academic skills necessary to
prepare them to successfully undertake advanced placement coursework.

   (k) Nothing in this section shall be construed to require any
action or expenditure on the part of a school district in excess of
the amount of funding provided for the purposes of this program or
that would require reimbursement by the Commission on State Mandates
pursuant to Section 6 of Article XIIIB of the California Constitution
and Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2
of the Government Code.
   (l) Funds provided for the purposes of this section shall
supplement existing programs or services provided at a qualifying
high school that are consistent with this section and may not be used
to supplant funding for those programs and services.
   (m) For purposes of this section, high schools receiving grants
pursuant to this section may utilize the services of county offices
of education, including, but not limited to, services for providing
access to advanced placement courses to small, rural schools.
  SEC. 3.  Notwithstanding Section 17610 of the Government Code, if
the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains
costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and
school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7
(commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the
Government Code.  If the statewide cost of the claim for
reimbursement does not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000),
reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund.
  SEC. 4.  This act is an urgency statute necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety within the
meaning of Article IV of the Constitution and shall go into immediate
effect.  The facts constituting the necessity are:
   In order to implement the Budget Act of 2000 with respect to high
school education, it is necessary that this act take effect
immediately.
